The redjacket NAQ

Much to my chagrin, people are starting to read this thing. So, in the interest of informing curious parties, here’s a handful of Frequently Never Asked Questions about what the hell is actually going on here:

What’s that header image?

That’s an old picture of Duluth’s skyline with a row of Airstream trailers in the foreground.

If this blog is about life in Mankato, why are you using a picture of Duluth?

Well, there are a few reasons.

First, Mankato’s cityscape is pretty ugly, and there aren’t a lot of decent photos of the city floating around.

Second, we’re not at the point where we can pay for decent design; “borrowing” is more suited to the redjacket budget at this point. (If you want to hook up a logo in exchange for, like, a beer or something, that’d be cool.)

But finally, and most importantly, it has sentimental value. As a kid in Duluth, one of my earliest memories was of the Airstream convention that took place at the convention center perched on the lakeshore. I always thought they looked cool. Now, as I’m older, it symbolizes something a little more romantic. I’ll always be a Duluthian at heart, but I’m nomadic. I descend upon my homeland once or twice per year, but I’m doomed to exile.

Also, I want an Airstream trailer.

Why don’t you allow comments underneath articles?

That’s a complicated one, but the short answer is this: Most people that comment on articles really don’t have anything worthwhile to add to the discussion. During my time in the “music journalism” world, the cultivation of a robust commenter community–such as those found at i09 and the AV Club–was a constant goal.

Yet, it never came to fruition. There are a lot of reasons for this (and I might go into detail at a later date), but at the end of the day, if you have something to say about any of these posts, do it on social media. I do the whole Facebook / Twitter / Instagram thing, so I’m available, and I’ll read feedback and engage.

Why don’t you have an official redjacket Facebook and / or Twitter page?

Because self-promotion is F*CKING EXHAUSTING and takes the fun out of everything. (Plus, the futility of Facebook promotion since their IPO has been well-documented.) There’s only going to be one or two updates here per week for the foreseeable future, so just bookmark the page and check back every few days if you’re one of the people awesome enough to stop by. If your bookmarks are an absolute disaster (like mine), follow me on Twitter, where I not only post links to new articles, but also provide HARD-HITTING INSIGHT:

If I was in LA Guns or Bang Tango or something, my stage name would be BUTT MIDLER

If you can’t see the humor in things, you’re probably taking yourself too seriously and your friends probably think you’re a sanctimonious blowhard. Drink more whiskey and revel in the absurd before you die of boredom.

What’s the greatest album of all time?

It’s not even close, people.

If you have any questions about the superiority of Tears For Fears (or anything else, for that matter), track me down on the Facebox (Jordan Campbell) or Twitter (@wolfpockets). Thanks for reading.